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Paper about routine activities theory
Different theories of criminology
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The study of criminology is why individuals commit crimes and why they behave in certain situations. When you understand why someone might commit a crime, you can come up with ways to prevent or control the crime. There are several different theories in criminology, in this paper I will be discussing Routine Activity Theory and Rational Choice theory. I will be comparing and contrasting as well between the two of these theories.
Routine Activity Theory focuses on situations of crime. This theory was used by Cohen and Felson (1979) to explain the rising crime rates in the United States. Cohen and Felson explained that crime rates could vary without actual changed in the number of potential offenders or offender motivation. The theory has three assumptions; a likely offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a guardian. A likely offender includes anyone with an inclination to commit a crime (Felson, 1983). Examples of a suitable target would be a person, object, or place (Cohen and Felson, 1979). Capable guardians would refer to police patrols, security guards, parents, neighbors, friends, and etc. Cohen and Felson (1979) argued that the same structure of routine activities influences criminal opportunity and therefore affects trends in direct contact predatory violations. Drawing from the human ecological theories, Cohen and Felson (1979) suggested that the structural changes in routine activity patterns can influence crime rates by affecting the convergence in time and space of the three elements that I listed above. Offenders are on the prowl and looking for how alert the victim is, if their alone, and the time of the day. Followers of this theory believe that crime is inevitable, and that if the target is attractive enou...
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...erally take the opportunity. There are downfalls to this theory, as it does not take into account any other aspects of the individual committing the crime (Morrow, 2014). However, using the Routine Activity Theory, we can effectively create programs that make it more difficult not only for people to commit crime but also make them less easy to victimize (Morrow, 2014). .
Works Cited
Brantingham, Paul J. & Brantingham, Patricia L. (eds.). (1981). Environmental Criminology. Waveland Press.
Clarke, R.V. & Eck, J (2003) Becoming a Problem-Solving Crime Analyst. Jill Dando
Felson, M. & Clarke, R. V. (1998). Opportunity Makes the Thief. Police Research Series
Finkelhor,D & Asdigian, N. (1996) Risk Factors for Youth Victimization: Beyond a Lifestyles/Routine Actives Theory Approach
Simpson, S. (2000). Of crime and criminality: The use of theory in everyday life.
Cohen, L. E., & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588–608. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2094589
Situational crime prevention is an idea criminologists use in order to reduce the chances of crime initially taking place. This theory does not aim to punish criminals after the crime has taken place like the criminal justice system does, but however the opposite, it aims to reduce the chances of the crime taking place to start with. Ron Clarke (2005) describes this theory as an approach that aims to reduce the opportunities out there for crime, involving rational choice theory. Clark focuses on three methods within this theory, directing at specific crimes, altering the environment we live in and aiming to reduce the benefits of committing crimes.
Why those who commit crime, do what they do. One theory that may be relatable in the Simpson murder trial is rational choice theory or RCT. rational choice theory states that criminals make a rational, conscious, and at least partially informed choice to commit a crime. When criminals think that the benefit of committing the crime will outweigh the cost if they get caught, they make a choice to commit said crime. There are two varieties of rational choice theory. One, situational choice theory, which is an extension of rational choice theory and two, routine activities theory or RAT, which states that the daily routine or patterns in ones’ activities make it much easier for an individual to become a victim of crime. The theory is, crime is more likely to happen when a criminal and their victim come together in the absence of authority (Schmalleger). A situation made easier to come by when the criminal knows the victim’s daily routines or patterns. In regard to the O.J. Simpson trial, this would have been a task easily accomplished. As the victim’s ex-husband and someone who was knowledgeable of Nicole Brown Simpsons daily routine it would have been extremely easy for Simpson to place her in a specific place at a specific time. Unfortunately for Ronald Goldman, he happened to be returning a pair of sunglasses at that time, and became a victim
Based upon the evidence provided on the six elements of a good theory, the Routine Activities Theory is a sound theory. These elements provide that the theory is scientific. The theory has brought together its three elements to help determine why crime occurs. Through research by multiple detached researchers, its hypotheses have been confirmed through tests and empirical evidence.
The study of criminology involves many different theories in which people attempt to explain reasoning behind criminal behavior. Although there are many different theories the focus of this paper is the comparison and contrasting sides of The Differential Association Theory (DAT) of Edwin Sutherland and the Neoclassicism Rational Choice Theory. The Differential Theory falls under Social Process Theories which focuses on sociological perspective of crime. The Rational Choice Theory falls under Neoclassicism which believes that criminal behavior is ultimately a choice.
Many of the traditional criminological theories focused more on biological, psychological and sociological explanations of crime rather than on the cost and benefits of crime. More conservative approaches, including routine actives, lifestyle exposure and opportunity theories have clearly incorporated crime rate patterns as a fundamental part of analyzing the economics of crime. Crime statistics are important for the simple reason that they help put theories into a logical perspective. For example, a prospective home owner may want to look at crime rates in areas of potential occupancy. On a more complex level, it helps law enforcement and legislators create effective crime reduction programs. Furthermore, it also helps these agencies determine if crime prevention programs, that have been in effect, have been successful. There are many factors that influence the rates of crime including socio economic status, geographical location, culture and other lifestyle factors. More specifically, Messner and Blau (1987) used routine activities theory to test the relationship between the indicators of leisure activities and the rate of serious crimes. They discussed two types of leisure actives, the first being a household pastime, which primarily focused on television watching. The second type was a non-household leisure event which was consisted of attendance to sporting events, cinemas, and entertainment districts. The focus of this paper will be to study the effects that substantial amounts of leisure activities have on the offender and the victim. Leisure activities not only make a crime more opportunistic for offenders, it may also provide offenders with motivation to engage in criminal activity. On the other hand, it may also be argue...
Individuals have the power to make their actions and behaviors secret to anyone and still be considered normal. In Edmund’s study (2007), he talked about how Dr. Zimbardo’s experiment and tested how two different groups of individuals, are given roles that they must fulfill. People can change without others knowing they did. Studies have shown that people are willing to change their behavior in order to fit in. People change their behavior under three circumstances: motivated individual, lack of guardianship, and suitable target (Tillyer, 2011). In Flora’s study (2007), she talks about the routine activity’s theory. It explains why individuals are more likely to commit behaviors that they normally would not do. A motivated offender is where an individual sees an opportunity to commit a crime. Lack of guardianship is where a parental guardian or someone in charge is absent in a situation. Suitable target is where an offender finds an individual that is an easy target. When an individual has all three of these conditions, it makes it easier for them to commit a crime. The theory suggests that individuals are more likely to change their behavior.
The objective of this paper is to provide insight into Rational Choice Theory. This theory, highly relied upon by many disciplines, is also used to calculate and determine crime and criminal behavior. Through definition, example and techniques utilized by criminologists, the reader will have a better understanding of the subject.
Operation Stop Gang Violence (OSGV) aims to prevent gang violence through the use of situational crime prevention, which is rooted in routine activity theory. Situational crime prevention utilizes “discrete managerial and environmental” changes to reduce the opportunity for crimes to occur (Clarke 2). This strategy focuses on the location of the crime, rather than the reasoning behind it. Situational crime prevention arises out of routine activity theory, which states that crime occurs when a motivated offender, suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian converge in space and time (Cohen and Felson 589). If one of these three elements is absent then a crime will not occur, according to routine activity theory.
Ronald V Clarke originally developed the idea of situational crime prevention in the 1980’s (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). This particular crime prevention theory addresses techniques that increase the effort required to commit the crime, increase the risks involved with committing the crime, reducing the reward gained by the offender after committing the crime, reducing the provocation between the offender and others and remove excuses (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Majority of crime is believed to be committed because there are no high risks of being caught and the rewards outweigh the risks (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Increasing the effort by controlling access to locations and target hardening can deflect many offenders, as more effort is needed to commit the crime (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005). Another main technique would be to increase the risks; this may be achieved by extending guardianship, creating natural surveillance or artificial surveillance such as CCTV (Brantingham & Brantingham 2005).
Crime is not a random act, although it may be rationally acted upon, the right situation has to present its self for it to be committed. Tilley (2009) suggests that crime is committed within the everyday routine of an attentive offender; these routines must have targets that are suitable for the offender. There are three concepts within in Crime Pattern, nodes, paths and edges; the routine that an individual's task to conduct daily activities, such as school, work, shopping, time with friends and entertainment (Brantingham & Brantingham, 1993a, 1993b, 2008; Tilley, 2009). The routes that people take everyday to get to this location are the paths, the geographical distribution of crime is generated by looking at an everyday crime map of paths that link commuter to targets, these paths cause them to become a victim (Clarke & Felson, 1998). As these paths are travelled often, it provides individuals with a good spatial awareness of suitable targets (Tilley, 2009).
The rational choice theory comes from the classical theory which is based off of personal choice towards criminal behavior. Criminal behavior under the rational choice theory has been due to the free thinking of society and has always been because of a specific thought process of personal vendettas. For example, a jealous person may feel the need to do something physically illegal like punching another person in the face because the benefit of gratitude is worth the risk of consequence. The example above is part of the rational choice theory and the reason is because that particular person weighed the costs and benefits of their illegal action. Rational choice theory is a vision where crime is a functionality of the decision-making process of the criminal in which they weigh the costs and benefits of an illegal act in society (Siegel, 2011).
High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...
Similarly, routine activity theory argues that attention should be focused on the condition in which the crime takes place rather than on the offender. It was devised by Cohen and Felson (1979). They argued that the contemporary society invites high crime by generating illegal opportunities such as public display of expensive portable goods (iPods, iPads, laptops, mobile phones) which are carried out by
Crime exists everywhere. It is exists in our country, in the big cities, the small towns, schools, and even in homes. Crime is defined as “any action that is a violation of law”. These violations may be pending, but in order to at least lower the crime rate, an understanding of why the crimes are committed must first be sought. There are many theories that are able to explain crimes, but three very important ones are rational choice theory, social disorganization theory and strain theory.